Communication device

• US 9,100,774 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takanobu, Asakura, Hirotaka, Matsuda, Munehisa, Tanaka, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US13/832,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20130260683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/44 Distributed routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/006 Using near field communication, e.g. an inductive loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication device may include a first type of interface and a second type of interface. The communication device may execute the communication of object data with a mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to a communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state. Also, the communication device may execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a first type of interface for executing a communication with a mobile device;

a second type of interface for executing a communication with the mobile device;

one or more processors; and

a memory that stores computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the communication device to;

(A) receive specific information from the mobile device using the first type of interface;

(B) determine, using the specific information, whether or not the communication device is currently in a communication-enabled state in which the communication device is currently capable of executing a communication of object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface;

(C) execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to the communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state; and

(D) execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.

2. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the above (B) includes determining whether or not the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state by confirming, using the specific information, whether or not the mobile device currently belongs to a specific network to which the communication device currently belongs, and

the specific network is a network for the communication device to execute a communication using the second type of interface.

3. The communication device as in claim 2, wherein

the specific network to which the communication device currently belongs is a specific wireless network,

the specific information includes an identifier of a wireless network to which the mobile device currently belongs, and

the above (B) includes determining whether or not the mobile device currently belongs to the specific wireless network to which the communication device currently belongs by confirming whether or not the identifier of the wireless network included in the specific information and a specific identifier for identifying the specific wireless network are identical.

4. The communication device as in claim 3, wherein the above (B) includes determining that the mobile device does not currently belong to the specific network in a case where a wireless network identifier is not included in the specific information.

5. The communication device as in claim 2, wherein in a case where terminal identification information for identifying the mobile device is included in the specific information, the above (B) includes:

determining that the mobile device currently belongs to the specific network in a case where the terminal identification information is acquired via the specific network by executing the communication using the second type of interface; and

determining that the mobile device does not currently belong to the specific network in a case where the terminal identification information is not acquired via the specific network by executing the communication using the second type of interface.

6. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the second type of interface is an interface for the communication device to execute a specific wireless communication,

the specific wireless communication is a wireless communication that the communication device and the mobile device execute without using an access point different from the communication device and the mobile device,

the specific process includes a process that the communication device and the mobile device execute the specific wireless communication using the second type of interface, and

in the case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state, the above (C) includes executing the specific wireless communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface after executing the specific process.

7. The communication device as in claim 6, wherein

the communication device is capable of selectively operating in one of a plurality of states including a parent station state in which the communication device functions as a parent station of a wireless network, a child station state in which the communication device functions as a child station of the wireless network, and a device state different from the parent station state and the child station state,

the communication device is capable of executing the specific wireless communication via the wireless network by operating in either the parent station state or the child station state in the wireless network,

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to:

(E) execute the specific process of sending a first wireless setting to the mobile device using the first type of interface, the first wireless setting being a setting for the mobile device to belong to a first wireless network, in a first case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state and the communication device currently belongs to the first wireless network, the first wireless network being a network for the communication device to execute the specific wireless communication; and

(F) execute the specific process of newly constructing a second wireless network, in a second case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state and the communication device does not currently belong to the first wireless network, the second wireless network being a network for the communication device to execute the specific wireless communication, the second wireless network being a network to which the communication device and the mobile device are to belong.

8. The communication device as in claim 7, wherein

in a case where the communication device operates in the parent station state in the first wireless network in the first case, the above (E) includes executing the specific process of sending the first wireless setting to the mobile device, and

in a specific case where the communication device operates in the child station state in the first wireless network in the first case, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to not execute sending the first wireless setting to the mobile device.

9. The communication device as in claim 8, wherein in the specific case, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the communication device to send to the mobile device, using the first type of interface, information indicating that the communication device does not execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device without executing the specific process.

10. The communication device as in claim 8, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to execute the specific process of newly constructing the second wireless network after causing the communication device to disconnect from the first wireless network.

11. The communication device as in claim 7, wherein in the second case, the above (F) includes executing the specific process including a process of determining that the communication device is to operate in the parent station state in the second wireless network without executing a selectively determining process of determining in which of the parent station state or the child station state the communication device is to operate in the second wireless network.

12. The communication device as in claim 7, wherein in the second case, the above (F) includes executing the specific process including a selectively determining process of determining in which of the parent station state or the child station state the communication device is to operate in the second wireless network.

13. The communication device as in claim 7, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the communication device to:

set, in accordance with a user'"'"'s instruction, a mode of the communication device to either a first mode in which the communication device is capable of belonging to a wireless network for executing the specific wireless communication or a second mode in which the communication device is not capable of belonging to the wireless network for executing the specific wireless communication;

in a case where the communication device sets the second mode in the second case, change a mode of the communication device from the second mode to the first mode; and

execute the specific process of newly constructing the second wireless network.

14. The communication device as in claim 13, wherein in a case where the mode of the communication device is the first mode, the communication device is capable of executing a wireless communication with an external device different from the mobile device, the external device belonging to the second wireless network, and

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to

not execute changing the mode of the communication device from the first mode to the second mode in a case where the external device currently belongs to the second wireless network after the mode of the communication device has been changed from the second mode to the first mode and the specific wireless communication of the object data has been executed with the mobile device via the constructed second wireless network;

and

change the mode of the communication device from the first mode to the second mode in a case where the external device does not currently belong to the second wireless network after the mode of the communication device has been changed from the second mode to the first mode and the specific wireless communication of the object data has been executed with the mobile device via the constructed second wireless network.

15. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the second type of interface is an interface for the communication device to execute a wireless communication of the object data with the mobile device, and

in a case where it is determined that a current state of the communication device is not the communication-enabled state and the communication device currently belongs to a specific wireless network for the communication device to execute the wireless communication using the second type of interface, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to:

(G) execute the specific process of sending a specific wireless setting to the mobile device by using the first type of interface, the specific wireless setting being for the mobile device to belong to the specific wireless network.

16. The communication device as in claim 15, wherein

the communication device is capable of executing, using the second type of interface, a specific wireless communication and another wireless communication, the specific wireless communication is a communication which the communication device and the mobile device execute without using an access point different from the communication device and the mobile device, the other wireless communication is a communication which the communication device and the mobile device execute via the access point, and

the above (G) includes executing:

the specific process of sending a specific wireless setting for the mobile device to belong to the specific network, the specific wireless setting including a password, in a case where the communication device belongs to the specific network for executing the specific wireless communication; and

the specific process of sending the specific wireless setting not including the password, in a case where the communication device belongs to the specific network for executing the other wireless communication.

17. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the second type of interface is an interface for the communication device to execute a wireless communication of the object data with the mobile device,

the specific information includes a wireless setting for the communication device to belong to a wireless network to which the mobile device currently belongs, and

in a case where it is determined that a current state of the communication device is not the communication-enabled state, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to execute, using the wireless setting, the specific process for causing the communication device to belong to the wireless network.

18. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein in a case where an IP address of the mobile device is included in the specific information, the above (B) includes:

sending an inquiry in which the IP address is indicated as a destination to a specific network by executing the communication using the second type of interface; and

determining as being in the communication-enabled state in a case where a response from the mobile device is received responsive to the inquiry, and

determining as not being in the communication-enabled state in a case where the response from the mobile device is not received responsive to the inquiry.

19. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein a communication speed of the communication using the second type of interface is faster than a communication speed of the communication using the first type of interface.

20. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the first type of interface is an interface for the communication device to execute a wireless communication,

the second type of interface is an interface for the communication device to execute a wireless communication, and

a maximum distance across which the communication device executes the wireless communication with the mobile device using the second type of interface is greater than a maximum distance across which the communication device executes the wireless communication with the mobile device using the first type of interface.

21. A communication device comprising:

a first type of interface for executing a communication with a mobile device;

a second type of interface for executing a communication with the mobile device; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit comprises;

a receiving unit configured to receive specific information from the mobile device using the first type of interface;

a determining unit configured to determine, using the specific information, whether or not the communication device is currently in a communication-enabled state in which the communication device is currently capable of executing a communication of object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface; and

a communication executing unit configured to;

execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to the communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state; and

execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions for a communication device configured to comprise a first type of interface for executing a communication with a mobile device and a second type of interface for executing a communication with the mobile device, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by one or more processors mounted on the communication device, causing the communication device to:

receive specific information from the mobile device using the first type of interface;

determine, using the specific information, whether or not the communication device is currently in a communication-enabled state in which the communication device is currently capable of executing a communication of object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface;

execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to the communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state; and

execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.